


Please Kiss Me To Sleep

by UniversesAdrien



Series: Our Falling Overture [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety Disorder, Arguing, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Panic Attacks, Shy Park Jisung (NCT), Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24318790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniversesAdrien/pseuds/UniversesAdrien
Summary: DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST A STORY, IF SOMETHING TRIGGERS YOU, DO NOT READ. IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY NOR IS IT MEANT TO HURT NCT OR ANY OTHER ARTISTS."I told you not to get close to me. Now look what happened; you're heartbroken.""Shut the hell up, Na Jaemin.""Yah! Where are your manners?!""They left with my respect for you!"OrNa Jaemin is at the top of his class and is known to be the most cold-hearted person the school has ever seen. Park Jisung is also at the top of his class, but his social ranking at school is very low and he doesn't have many friends aside from Renjun. They like to keep it that way, as no one must know they're in an arranged marriage.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Zhong Chen Le, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Na Jaemin/Park Jisung
Series: Our Falling Overture [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755631
Comments: 24
Kudos: 111





	1. You're Pathetic

**Author's Note:**

> HELLOOO! Welcome to my new story and first series! It's something that just kind of popped in my head and boop, now it's here! 
> 
> Enjoy!

_"This song reminds me of you, so whenever it's played, I make sure to have a picture of you."_

When Jisung came walking into the classroom, he felt like he was suffocating. He didn't know anyone and didn't want to know anyone. Jisung's number one priority was to go through high school without being noticed.

Of course, that was completely thrown out the window when he bumped into his fiance, Na Jaemin, and spilled coffee all over him.

Now you see, Jaemin was quiet, cold-hearted, and never dated anyone in school. And yet, he was so popular amongst everyone in school and their parents. He was at the top in his class and always annoyed the hell out of Renjun when he got the highest grade after exams. Jaemin was also known to reject every single person that confessed to him, which is why Jisung felt his heart drop when this unfortunate incident happened.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for anything like this to happen!" Jisung stuttered out, his heart suddenly feeling like a runner's. Students started to gather, even some teachers coming out of their classrooms to come to see what was about to happen. It's amazing what things in a preppy school can happen.

Everyone expected Jaemin to snap and yell at the poor student, but instead, he gave Jisung a death glare and left to go change smoothly. While Renjun congratulated him on not being killed so young, Jisung thought otherwise. He knew what that glare meant.

"Jisung, you have coffee on yourself, too, why don't you go change? I'll cover you in class." Jisung trembled in fear as he walked to the locker room, not noticing Jaemin was in there as well.

As soon as Jaemin coughed to get his attention, Jisung froze on the spot. Just his luck, right?

"What made you so clumsy today?" He asked. Jaemin's voice held no bite, but it didn't grasp any lightness either. Jisung looked at the floor and couldn't help but start crying, babbling apologies about his ruined shirt. After taking off his shirt, Jaemin walked over and plucked Jisung's hair out of his eyes, tilting his chin up with only his middle finger.

"I asked you a question. As my fiance, you must answer it." He demanded. Jisung swallowed his hiccups and nodded.

"I-I didn't take my anxiety medication this morning and I have three exams today. I asked my mother if she could bring it but she said she was too busy to do so." Jisung rambled out. Jaemin frowned at her actions. He let go of Jisung's face and walked over to his bag. Jisung took this as an opportunity to change out of his coffee-stained shirt and into another one. Luckily, none of the coffee got onto the rest of his uniform.

"Here, I figured you would forget it after studying for so long. Don't forget again, and stay away from me during school. Got it?" Jisung was fast to nod his head and change. He couldn't bear to look at him any longer than he had to during school hours.

"Isn't it pathetic? How I'm about to be married to the guy yet he can't even stand being in the same room as me. Before my mother and I left, my father would always tell me all I was good for was caring for my husband and children. My mother doesn't think that way, but my marriage contract can't be broken no matter what I do." Jisung wondered out loud to Renjun. Renjun listened intently, feeling heartbroken for Jisung, while the other felt nothing anymore.

"Jisung, are you sure? You're older now and don't live with your father anymore. Haven't things changed?" Jisung shook his head.

"No, it hasn't. My mother was head of the family and she's the one that made the contract after my father forced her to and made sure that under any circumstance, I still have to marry Jaemin." Renjun sighed.

"Lunch break is almost over, should we drive back?" Jisung smiled at his best friend. "Or would you rather stay here and risk Jaemin telling your mother when you get home?" That was enough for the young man to sprint to the car in fear. Renjun giggled at his frantic actions. "At least help me with the food, you idiot!"

"Hmm... nope! I'm all good!" Jisung yelled from the car. He fished for his car keys, ignoring the angry shouts coming out of Renjun's mouth.

"You're lucky I care about you," Renjun grumbled. Jisung giggled and continued to drive back to school. Along the way, Jisung couldn't help but think about what it would have been like if it was Jaemin driving and Jisung in the passenger's seat, smiling with fondness in their eyes.

"Mom, I'm home!" Jisung's voice rang through the house. No response was heard. Typical. It didn't take long until he was in the main kitchen, making himself dinner for the millionth time. Well, not only himself now.

"I'm making soft tofu stew with a side of kimchi fried rice. Do you want some?" Jisung asked. His voice was soft but held a tad of hesitation. Jaemin nodded yes, silently taking a water bottle from the fridge. It was always like this now. Jisung's mother never home, Jaemin being the first there. Jisung would come in late after club activities and go straight to cooking. They could have hired a maid and chef, but his mother thought that they didn't need that. Not a chef at least.

Instead of making small talk or chatting about their days like a normal couple, Jaemin just sat at the kitchen island and ignored Jisung's entire presence.

"Who's that guy you were hanging out with at the park?" Jaemin asked casually.

"It was my friend, Renjun. Why do you care, anyway?"

"Because people talk, people like the sons and daughters of investors." Jisung swallowed thickly. He huffed in annoyance and turned off the stove, taking out bowls and plates for them.

"Oh! You two are home! Thank goodness, we need to discuss wedding arrangements." Jisung's mother spoke excitedly. She swept into the house and had such bright energy around her; nothing could put her down. Jisung squinted to Jaemin, motioning him to go along with it or they would be in serious trouble.

"Mom! Why don't you go wash up? I'll set you a plate." Jisung's mother giggled and glided up the stairs. Jisung could hear curses and grumbles coming from the other's mouth.

"Come by my side or you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight. And today it's raining, so you know you'll get slobbered by Yuki." Jisung hissed. He set another spot for his mother, pouring his stew and putting out more sides for her. Jaemin huffed and slammed his book down. He walked around the island and stood next to Jisung, wrapping his arm around the man's waist. Jisung could feel chills run down his spine when he felt his hold tighten.

"Why does Yuki have to come inside every time it's raining? Can't you build a dog house for her or are you too weak?"

"I would but I'm a tad too busy cooking your food and folding your laundry. Not to mention I have club activities and I clean our room! You go to school and work. That's it." Jisung spat back. 

"Awe, look at you two! Having cute lovers' quarrel!" Jaemin and Jisung's faces softened when Jisung's mother came back from washing up, now being dressed in her comfy yet sophisticated clothing. Jaemin gently leads Jisung to the dining room along with his mother, making sure to push his chair in for him.

"Thank you, my love." Jisung giggled. Jaemin rolled his eyes and poked his nose sweetly. The whole interaction was disgusting, or as Renjun would say, disgustingly sweet.

"You know, mom, Jaemin here got jealous because of Renjun." He hummed. Jaemin promptly choked on his rice, while Jisung smiled smugly.

"Oh, dear, of Renjun? Honey, he's just Jisung's childhood friend! No need to get jealous. When Jisung was a baby, he would have sleepovers with Renjun and this kid named Chenle. They would always come here because of Yuki! I think it's because Yuki was only a year old at the time and she was already so big. Having all that energy in the house, I don't know how I handled it all!"

"What kind of breed is Yuki anyways?" Jaemin asked, mouth full of Jisung's stew.

"Well, I know he's a husky for one but I think there's some wolf in there." The other didn't have much else to say, and neither did the mother and son. The rest of the dinner was kept quiet, mostly spoons and chopsticks heard as they picked up food.

"Now that we've eaten. We need to discuss wedding arrangements. We originally planned to wait until Jisung ended his final year, but now, it seems as your parents want it when you graduate, Jaemin. It's only a couple of months away so we need to start planning right away, starting with a date. Do you have anything in mind?" Jaemin was shocked to say the least, and it didn't help that Jisung's breath began to quicken.

"W-Well we could do a winter wedding," Jisung suggested.

"Yeah, we'll come up with a theme later." Jisung's mother was content with their answers, which relieved them more than they thought. Both couldn't believe that by the end of the year, they would be happily (read: miserably) married. The most dreadful thing would be the awkward night they'd have to spend together and the two weeks of the honeymoon. Jisung still had two years of school left while Jaemin had one at this point, but that didn't matter to Jisung's father nor Jaemin's parents. The sooner they got married, the sooner their companies could merge and more money to them! They didn't care what Jisung would end up doing or what Jaemin wanted.

You see, Jaemin was going to be in charge of his father's company while Jisung got to go to college; one thing that Jisung's mother fought for and won. Jaemin's mother wanted Jaemin to go to college before taking over the company, but his father simply refused.

"Jisung, have you decided on any schools yet?"

"I wanted to look at Yonsei or Seoul National," Jisung was nervous about applying to universities. He dreamed of being a doctor at a young age. It was his chance to help people, and also show it off in his father's face. He was capable of doing anything and no one could stop that.

While Jisung was in his little world, Jaemin was gripping his spoon tightly. One reason he couldn't stand Jisung was the very fact that he was able to go to college with his friends while he was stuck in meetings, talking about a company he didn't give two shits about.

"Is it nice? Being able to do whatever the fuck you want?" Jaemin snapped. Jisung sighed and placed the last clean dish away.

"If you're done being an asshole, I'm going to our room." Jisung huffed. He shoved passed him and swiftly walked up the stairs. Jaemin wanted to stop him, and for some reason, he wanted to apologize. But why would he want to apologize?

"So you argued?" Chenle mumbled tiredly. He yawned and buried his head back into his arms.

"Yeah, luckily my mom only saw the tiny one instead of the one after we ate dinner. I went into our room and thought that he would leave the conversation alone, but no, he ranted about how privileged I am, how I get to go to college, and study my ass off while he sat comfortably being the CEO of a company handed by his father. The whole thing was stupid. And he always says for me to stay away and that he can't stand being near me, but here he is, eating the food I cook, sleeping in my bed with clothes that I helped wash. He could say thank you, you know."

"Awe, Sung, I know how much a dick he can be. I think what you two need is a nice long talk." Chenle beamed.

"Like that'll ever work." Jisung rolled his eyes, pouting slightly.

"How about you talk to his friends? He's friends with that Mark and Jeno guy, so go to them and try to see if they could help. After all, they're the only other ones that know besides me, Renjun, and Yukhei." Chenle kept making suggestions, many that were so good and might work, yet something inside Jisung was telling him to only wait it out.

"Yeah, maybe. How are things going with Renjun? Do you plan on confessing soon or are you going to wait it out?" Chenle was usually a calm yet chaotic soul, rarely gets down or mad, but when he did, his glare would make you regret your existence.

"I'll confess to Renjun when you get along with your fiance." Jisung knew Chenle was joking, but the idea wasn't that bad. "Don't you dare think about it! Ji- Park Jisung- NO!"

"If I attempt to get along with my fiance, would you at least attempt flirting with Renjun?"

"... I'll try, just like you, but if something happens, you're taking responsibility!" Chenle pointed at him.

"Okay, fine." It was then that Chenle and Jisung made a pinky promise. A promise that they would take the chance life gave them, and see if it was for the best, or worst.

"Fiance, huh?"


	2. Oh No...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaemin is trying. He really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter two! I do have a couple of chapters done so I'll try to upload them in a timely manner ~ 
> 
> Sidenote: Story is only mature due to language and arguments. Please read the tags before reading!

_“Is it too late to tell you I love you?”_

It took Jisung two hours to get out of bed that morning. He didn’t know why; it just took a while. Jaemin was still asleep next to him, eyes were swollen from sleep, dark brown hair in a bundled mess on the silk pillow, and lips leaving a slight puddle of drool. Jisung then decided that it was about time to get out of bed. He didn’t want Jaemin to catch him staring nor was he very fond of arguing so early in the morning.

Jisung liked showers, but he loved baths. When Jaemin started living with them, he made fun of the fact that Jisung took his time getting ready for bed at night. Of course, he wasn’t aware that Jisung was simply curled up in hot water, bubbles floating around on his cheeks as a soft melody played from his phone’s speakers. After his comments, Jisung shortened his routine by only taking baths once a week, and lately, once a month.

“Maybe I’ll take a bath today. It’s not like we have anything important to do.” As soon as the door closed, Jaemin started to stir in his sleep. Unconsciously, he felt around the empty side of the bed, expecting to flick Jisung’s head or be met with a bony arm. Instead, the sheets were warm and already made.

“Why is he up so early?” Jaemin grumbled. Was there something that they had to attend to? Why wasn’t he informed? Wondering could only get Jaemin so far, which prompted him to stumble out and make his way to the bathroom. Now, Jisung didn’t lock the door. It wasn’t because he didn’t think people would come in, but he only forgot to.

Big mistake.

Well, was it really?

“It’s too damn early to be up… ” Jaemin yawned, scratching the back of his neck out of exhaustion. He didn’t hear the water slightly splashing around, but when he looked at Jisung clutching a towel for dear life.

“Don’t you know how to knock?!” He yelled. Normally, Jaemin had a snarky comment under his belt, but this time, he stuttered. Jaemin’s face turned bright red, matching Jisung’s already flustered expression. He quickly ran out and made his way into the kitchen, where, of course, was Jisung’s mother having a nice conversation with his mother. There he stood, in his red joggers and a white t-shirt that nicely complimented his now red face. From afar, he looked like a mess.

And well, up close he looked like a disaster.

“You’re awake! I thought you were going to sleep in today, but since you’re up, I wanted to talk to you about your suits!” Jaemin’s mother clapped excitedly. Jaemin, at this point, was pale and out of it, but he would do anything to get his mind off of walking in on Jisung. Yes, he was just bathing, but he had an overwhelming amount of guilt and questions.

Was he being too dramatic? Probably. Did he care? No, not at all.

“We haven’t even decided on a theme, nor have we decided on a color scheme. Let us breathe for a day or two and we’ll take care of it, okay?” Jaemin tried to calm his mother down, but the woman was full of energy and excitement. Her only son would soon be married and he already was in love with his fiance.

“How about a royal theme? I’ve had some time to think about it and while I didn’t get to run my idea by Jaemin, I think it’ll be nice to have red and gold or silver and blue as our colors. What do you think?” A voice spoke from behind him. If this was a cartoon, people would see Jaemin jumping a couple of a hundred feet from the pure scare alone. Jisung’s bath was sadly cut short from his encounter with Jaemin and it didn’t help at all when he heard more voices coming from downstairs.

“We can do a royal theme combined with a winter wonderland. That would make it more interesting.” The mothers squealed in excitement and were quick to go on websites to come up with ideas. While eating breakfast, they concluded with the idea of doing a dark blue and silver color scheme with royal winter vibes.

It came together nicely and was the only thing both Jaemin and Jisung agreed on.

“Dude, you guys really got all those ideas in a span of ten minutes?” Jaemin’s friend, Mark, asked. Jaemin nodded and explained to him that they mostly came from the two mothers and small suggestions by the annoyance in his life.

“Anything to get them off our backs. Plus, I figured we should at least try to get along a little bit if we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. I’m an asshole both in school and out of school, that’s not going to change much of.” Mark snorts at his comment. He started to imagine Jaemin having cute arguments with Jisung, like what kind of flowers for the reception or how many guests would attend the ceremony compared to the reception. In another world, their relationship could be the sweetest thing ever.

In the mornings, Mark, and even Jeno, would imagine Jaemin coming into the classroom and swooping Jisung in his arms. They imagined them studying together in the library, envious eyes looking at them from afar. And yet, they know it’ll never happen.

“Okay, students, turn your book to page 241. Jisung, why don’t you start us off?” Jisung froze in his seat. He hesitantly nodded and stood up shakingly, small snickering already heard from both sides of the classroom. The teacher did shut them up, but Jisung knew deep down it would never stop.

“Hey, Park! Aren’t you engaged?” A student yelled out. Jisung’s heartbeat quickened.

“Yeah! What sorry loser is stuck with you?”

“They must be out of their mind if they’re getting married to you!”

“Did the stuttering get to him or something” The class roared with laughter.

“That’s it. Everyone, you now have 30 pages of reading to do by Monday and a 1000-word paper based on what you learned about. We don’t tolerate bullying here.” The class erupted in complaints and curses, which caused Jisung to wince. “Jisung, why don’t you see me after class?” The rest of the period went on normally, with the exception of snarky comments. By the end, Jisung was in tears.

“Jisung, I wanted to apologize for the class today, but I do want some clarification on these rumors, that is if you want to tell me.” Jisung swallowed. Renjun always told him he was bad at keeping secrets, and after all, what bad could telling a teacher do?

This time, nothing at all.

“I’m in an arranged marriage. Even though my parents are divorced, it’s something I can’t get out of. Old laws, I guess. Well, the more we got to know each other, the harder we fell. That’s the small version of it, so no need to worry, Mr. Jung.” Jisung lied through his teeth. His teacher didn’t seem convinced. Neither did he.

“I’ll believe you this time. Not only because Jaemin is my husband’s brother, but because Ten told me the same thing. You should really consider acting club, by the way.” Jisung’s face went red for the second time that week.

“I-I’m sorry, Jaemin doesn’t talk about his family much.” The teacher smiled and waved him off.

“It’s alright. I also wanted to talk to you about transferring to a higher English class. Your grades are really high and you’ve passed all my tests with complete marks. Plus, I think after today, you’ll be a lot happier with people who not only share your intelligence but are your friends.” Jisung beamed at Mr. Jung’s suggestion. The two talked more about the transfer and promised that the paperwork would be filed by the end of the day.

“Oh, and Jisung? Call me Jaehyun when we’re not in school.” Jisung nodded. He wondered how Jaemin could have such a lovely family when he was so cold-hearted and quite frankly, an asshole. Speaking of family, shouldn’t Jungwoo be coming back from his service by now?

Jungwoo was the family’s eldest brother and was currently serving his 2-year mandatory military service. He wanted to wait and work first, but his father had other plans. While his mother got custody of both children, Jungwoo went with his father’s plans in hopes that they would leave them alone. It was tough, but Jungwoo is finally coming home. Not anywhere else, but home.

“Jisung! I heard some kids were giving you shit. Who do I have to beat the crap out of?” Chenle pouted. Yukhei stood right next to him, his computer bag in hand with a serious look on his face. Jisung sweated at the sight.

“No one, Lele. Please, I’d rather not have you get another month of detention because of me. And Yukhei, smile! I’m okay! Plus, Jungwoo is coming home soon so this is a happy time. By the way, Yukhei, don’t you have college classes?” Jisung questioned.

“I did, but it got canceled. The professor got called for a conference out of town so I have this morning off for the rest of the week! That means I get to take Chenle to school every day and embarrass him.” Chenle groaned while Jisung giggled at the older’s words.

“Good luck, then.” Yukhei thanked him. Jisung thought back to the days when it was easy. Where he wasn’t engaged to some asshole who never appreciated him, where all he did was worry about what colored pencils to use for his flower drawing.

“Jaemin, would you like to go out with me sometime?” The girl in front of him asked timidly. Jaemin kept his face blank, as always.

“No. I’m not interested.” The girl teared up instantly and thanked him for his time, but Jaemin couldn’t care less. It was just another person who only likes him for his looks or status and not his heart. What did it matter anyway? It’s not like he could go out with anyone at this point. He didn’t even want to go out with anyone he didn’t know. He also didn’t really mind when it came to the gender identity of his partner Jaemin found this out a while ago.

It was a dim night and Jaemin had an embarrassing crush on Mark. Luckily, he never found out and Jaemin lost feelings a long time ago. Back to the story; Jaemin was casually scrolling through the internet and came across an account that often posted about the LGBT+ community. He started to explore the community more, and by the end of the week, he found himself figuring out he was pansexual. Mark and Jeno, were accepting and both also came out as pansexual.

“Do you think the reason why you hate Jisung so much is that you don’t know much about each other or is this whole getting engaged debacle the cause?” Jeno questioned him at lunch. Jaemin shrugged. He didn’t necessarily hate the guy, just that he was so privileged to live a normal teenage life as he was going to be forced to run a company he gave not one shit about.

“I don’t really care anymore,” Jaemin mumbled. Jeno frowned.

“Jaemin, if you could go to college, what do you think you’d major in? Don’t you have any hobbies or things you love to do?” He questioned.

Jaemin wondered, what _did_ he like doing?

“I’m home!” Jaemin shouted as he walked through the door. No one answered. With a raised eyebrow, Jaemin took off his shoes and put on his house slippers, wandering around the house to see if anyone was home. It was 5 pm and by this time, Jisung would be in the kitchen making dinner or doing homework in their room. The man sighed; it looks like it’s his turn to make dinner. Cooking was rare for Jaemin, but at least he knew how to do it. Last time Mark tried to make dinner, he was only able to eat plain and soft foods for a solid week. With a tired heart, Jaemin placed his bags in the room and changed into comfortable clothes; a black t-shirt and gray joggers to match his energy.

“What’s simple and won’t take too long?” He wondered out loud. “Bibimbap? We haven’t had that in a while. Maybe he won’t give me the evil eye this time.” Jaemin then spent 10 minutes cutting vegetables and getting the meat prepared, humming small tunes here and there.

“Anyone here?” Jisung’s voice rang. Jaemin suppressed a groan and answered quietly. That prompted Jisung to poke his head into the kitchen and see what his fiance was doing.

“Wow, you’re cooking? I thought I would never see the day.”

“Shut up. Instead of insulting me, why don’t you finish cutting these up while I check on the rice?” Jisung rolled his eyes but had a small smile playing on his lips.

“I heard you were transferring into a higher class. And before you start giving me crap about how I’m going to tease you, I’m not. I just wanted to say congratulations, alright? It’s not every day that a dumbass gets into the highest class-” Jaemin started giggling at the last part, inciting Jisung to reach over and smack him. Luckily for Jaemin, he missed, but now they were both laughing. It was the first time they shared a smile.

“At least I’ll be in a different class than you. My teacher said I’d be with my friends.” Jisung hummed. Jaemin smiled smugly at that. Jisung didn’t know that there was only one high English class, and that was the one that Jaemin, Mark, Renjun, Chenle, Jeno, and Donghyuck were in. In fact, they were the only six in that class, seven now that Jisung is in there. They called it the Neo Dream team. It was a questionable name, but no one wanted to hurt Mark’s feelings.

“Yeah. Right.” Jaemin snorted. Jisung glared. Cooking was the least of their worries for the next half hour. The tension was thick, incredibly thick. Jisung felt like he couldn’t breathe for a second, chest slowly starting to heave.

“The meat is ready. I can start on the eggs or set the table.”

“It’s fine. Why don’t you put your stuff away and I’ll take care of the rest. You seem tired, anyway.” Jisung didn’t hear the last part, and he didn’t need to. He nodded and went on his way up to their room, only to find it spotless.

“Who cleaned? No one is supposed to be here today.” Jisung wondered. While he scratched his head and got ready for dinner, Jaemin was slowly panicking. Why did he give a shit about Jisung? Why now out of all days?

“I really hate myself right now,” Jaemin concluded.

“Watch a movie with me.” Jisung jumped in his chair. Jaemin stared at him blankly, arms positioned across his chest. Leaning against the doorframe made him a tad more intimidating to the normal person, but to Jisung, he kind of looked like an angry cat.

“Why should I?” He scoffed. Jaemin’s eye twitched in annoyance and grabbed Jisung by the arm, dragging him to the living room. He ignored the round of complaints he got from the younger as he was one, stronger, and two, Jisung made no effort to move away.

“We’re going to watch _A Tale of Two Sisters_. It came out in 2003, ever watched it before?” Jisung shook his head. Why would he watch a movie that would terrify the living hell out of him? Of course, he heard about it but that didn’t mean he wanted to watch it. “Great! We’ll watch it then. The summary says that it’s one of the first to be in US theaters.”

“Well isn’t that fun?” The sarcasm laced in his voice was at its finest.

“Please don’t go in there… Please- don’t you-!” Jisung yelped at the jump scare, quickly hiding his face in Jaemin’s arm. The other was slightly shaking, but Jisung didn’t need to know that he was also terrified. There was yet another jump scare scene but this time, his fiance jumped into his lap.

“H-Hey!” Jaemin started to scold. He looked down and saw Jisung hiding his tears, buried in his chest. Now, Jaemin was generally a cold person. He rejected everyone and couldn’t stand people that weren’t Mark or Jeno, but at that moment, he felt… bad.

Gently, he placed his arms around Jisung and silently stroked his back. He almost weighed nothing compared to Jaemin and forgot that he was there for a hot second. The movie continued at a slow pace that eventually made both fall asleep soundly.

“Be quiet! If you keep moving, the picture won’t come out right!” A voice hissed. The other mysterious woman rolled their eyes. “Now just point the camera and don’t forget to turn off the flash. The television’s glare is enough light to make out who it is. Man, I can’t believe they’re together. It’s disgusting.”

“I know it’s disgusting, but does that really give us the right to invade their privacy?” She questioned.

“Yes! Remember how Jaemin rejected you in front of all those people!? I mean yeah, he’s hot, but he needs to be exposed for how fucked up and gay he is.”

“I guess you’re right. Once my mother knows that he’s gay, she’ll forgive me. When I told her about him rejecting me, she made me cook my own dinner and clean my own room. I mean, who does that?” Both shivered in disgust.

They knew that once the pictures were developed, everything would change.


	3. It's Just A Tad Messed Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news is out, and Jaemin takes it out on Jisung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter ! I'm still doing summer classes so I do apologize if I disappear for a while lol.
> 
> Some warnings: there is arguing back and forth plus some angst (like always) so please do read the tags and proceed with caution. 
> 
> Again, hope you enjoy !

_"I'm not afraid of love, I'm just afraid of not being loved back." - Unknown_

Jaemin felt light. It was odd considering Jisung was asleep on him, but he didn't feel angry or disgusted, to say the least. His back was aching, mouth dry, legs numb, but deep inside, he felt it was all worth it when Jisung curled into him even further.

"You must be Jaemin." If Jaemin was any more awake, he would have jumped a couple of feet. Much like when he asked Jisung to watch a movie with him yesterday. Jungwoo was smiling down at him. Jaemin panicked, wanting to greet him but the person on him only allowed him to shake hands with Jungwoo. It was an interesting interaction; he only knew Jungwoo from conversations and slight appearances at important events like a gala or something.

"I-I am. I'm sorry I would greet you but I'm in a situation right now." Jaemin sweated. Jungwoo's smile didn't break.

"No worries! Why don't you take him up and come back down so we can have a little talk over making breakfast?" Jaemin quickly nodded and gathered Jisung in his arms. Did Jungwoo know about them pretending for the sake of their parents or did he have to pretend once again?

"Don't go..." Jisung whispered tiredly. Jaemin stiffened when he gripped his shirt.

"I'm just going downstairs for a bit. I'll be back, I promise. If you need me, just call, okay?" Jisung pouted, but reluctantly let go and fell back into a deep slumber. Jaemin sighed in relief; he didn't know Jisung could be so clingy when he was sleepy. That was something he would have to talk about with Jeno.

"As his brother, I have the right to say that I'll kick your ass if you hurt him, but considering how in love you are now compared when I last saw you, I don't think I'll ever will," Jungwoo spoke casually. Ah, so Jungwoo didn't know, but wait-

"I appreciate the warning, but I'm not in love with him." He spat. Jaemin strolled past him and poured himself coffee into a large mug. He would be needing it to get through today.

"Right, and I didn't just get out of the military." Jungwoo's sarcasm was at its best; something that Jisung picked up on slightly through the years. "Listen, whether you like it or not, you're in love with him. You've just spent so much time hating him that you don't know what to do or feel."

"I-I'm not in love with him, so shut it you!"

"Really? So your promise to him that you'll be back in bed soon, isn't loving him? You pretending for our mother's sake isn't loving him? What's the point of you doing that? As far as I know, Jisung is the one that pleaded with you to pretend. If you at least liked him, you still wouldn't be sharing the same bed nor would you be eating the food that he cooks for you! Why don't you open your eyes for once and stop being so stubborn?!" Jungwoo half-shouted.

"I'm only doing this because my father is telling me to! You think I like being here, forcing myself to pretend that I'm in love with this amazing person who gets to do what he wants? He gets to go to university and study to be whatever he desires, and yet I'm only a fucking pawn! I'm only here to live a life that I don't want. I'd rather be living under a bridge then to be forced into a meaningless relationship. Besides, even if I was in love with him, which I'm not, it's not like he'll ever love me back. I don't know him, he doesn't know me, and it's going to stay that way." Jaemin huffed out. Jungwoo softened. A pawn? Did Jisung know this?

"Jaemin, what do you really want to do?"

"I don't know, and it'll never matter, so why bother?" Jaemin slumped against the fridge. The other sighed.

"Why don't you go out together tonight? Like on a date? Get to know each other since you're going to be with each other for the rest of your life. You watched a movie last night, right? So go do something he likes." He suggested. Doing something he likes? Did his future brother-in-law not hear a word Jaemin said? He didn't want to know anything about Jisung. Anything about getting along was out the window now; they'll just be strangers.

"Whatever." Jaemin pushed himself off the fridge and placed his coffee on the counter.

Not a single sip was taken.

Not another word was said to anyone else that day.

"Did you see the photo?"

"Yeah, who knew he was gay?"

"Well, at least now I know why I was rejected."

Quiet conversations swarmed every class in school. Jaemin couldn't be bothered to check who it was about, but he was glad the attention was off him for once. That was until Mark came up to him with a frantic look on his face.

"Why do you look like you just saw your parents naked?" Mark scowled for a second but quickly changed back to panicking. He pulled out his phone and showed Jaemin the picture that was taken only two days earlier.

There he was, sitting on his couch comfortably with Yuki on the floor next to him and Jisung on his lap, clinging for dear life as the movie played. Jaemin paled; where the hell did they get this?! It had to be fake. It just had to be. He yanked the phone out of his friend's hand and scanned it over about a million times before he got out of his seat and looked around the classroom. Some eyes burned into his skull with anger while the others just held disappointment and sadness.

"Why Jisung? What's so good about him?"

"Maybe that's why Jisung got into the advanced class! He used Jaemin to get in."

"Using him like that? How pathetic. Jaemin should get with me instead."

"I guess Jaemin is the sorry loser who's stuck with Jisung."

"What does Jisung have that I don't?"

Jisung flinched at the comments. He tried to ignore them when he walked to his locker, but they kept getting louder and harsher.

Arriving at his destination didn't help a bit. His locker was covered with harsh insults and terrible pictures of him clinging to the idiot who can't stand him. Jisung began to take them down, with tears rapidly flowing down his face. Who would do this?

"There he is! Sung! The principal is calling you." Chenle took his friend's shaking hands away from the now stripped locker door. Jisung shook and cried in his arms. This was supposed to be a secret, something that they would try to hide until the newspapers came out about the companies merging and vows exchanged. Would they have to pretend at school now or keep ignoring each other?

Life really gave them a big fuck you.

"Please, Jisung, you know how strict he is. Go, okay? I'll cover for you in science." Renjun mumbled in his ear. Timidly, he placed his arms around Jisung and helped him off the ground, pushing him slightly towards the principal's office.

"There you are. Come this way, Jaemin is already inside. I assure you, you are not in trouble." The nerves inside Jisung didn't calm one bit at the other's words. He tried to wipe his tears away and they just wouldn't stop; it was like a river flowing continuously, only it's caused by fear and anxiety. He didn't even try to look at how Jaemin was reacting. There was only one answer.

He was angry.

Although, Jaemin wasn't angry at Jisung. He was angry that someone dared to invade his privacy and trespass. He was frustrated because he knew it wasn't Jisung's fault yet that's what the entire school painted him out to be. They didn't even get to go to Jisung's new English class. It was beyond ridiculous at this point.

"Now, I've called you two here because even though I have a strict reputation, I want you guys to know that you are not in trouble. In a school like this, I'm not surprised we have a couple of arranged marriages. What I am surprised by is how you were able to hide it from everyone this entire time, especially since both your families are some of the most well-known. He spoke lightly. The weight was torn off their shoulders after he spoke. Jaemin grabbed Jisung's hand and held it tightly, hoping to comfort him in one way.

"We're sort of in a sticky situation, Principal Seo. While other families have ways they can get out of the marriage quickly, we don't. We've been stuck like this for as long as we can remember and I'm even living at their home. Our fathers want revenge of some sort, so they took it out on us. Their companies get to merge and they'll live their lives all happily. I was lucky that I'm getting to marry someone I know and now care about, but it's still, pardons my language, shitty circumstances. I'd wish we met normally." Jaemin whispered the last part, but both still heard it. Jisung was in shock, to say the least, and the blossoming feeling in his heart grew even further.

"I understand... Thank you for telling me this. Jisung, do you have anything to say?" He asked. Jisung bit his lip and nodded.

"We act like we don't know each other at school because it's just easier that way. Jaemin is popular and everyone knows who he is. I'm not much of someone at all. I mean, people don't pay attention to me and often forget I'm even there. I guess things are going to change now that the cat's out of the bag."

"Well, now that we have things cleared up, I'm going to go ahead and report this. The picture is still a question of how it was shot and who did it, plus, your parents must know." Jisung's ears perked up at that. "Also, please, keep the public display of affection at a low. We still have rules." Jaemin and Jisung nodded. That certainly wasn't going to be a problem, but now, they had to pretend at school. They were already exhausted from doing it at home but at school? Really?

"So, what happened?" Chenle and Renjun asked Jisung. After Principal Seo dismissed them, they were sent to their English class, which was the first period. Jaemin didn't say a word to Jisung and still felt anger bleeding off him.

"W-We just explained everything. Also, why isn't Xuxi in this class? Shouldn't he be here with the rest of us?" Jisung said, attempting to change the subject.

"He has practice during this time so he has private lessons with Sicheng later in the day. He wished he could join us but dancing is his top priority to get into this top school in China." Jeno mentioned from across the room.

"Don't change the subject, Sung!" Chenle screeched.

"That's all we did, okay? We just explained things like how we would to our parents."

"Meaning you're pretending once again." Renjun spat out.

"Maybe. Not the point! We didn't get in trouble, but I have a feeling that we're going to be yelled at by our mothers when we get home. Saying how social status shouldn't matter when we're 'in love' when we're literally in an arranged marriage."

"Alright, class, cut the chatter. Let's welcome our new students. Jisung, I'm glad you're here! This is Donghyuck, he sometimes goes by Haechan. He's not only a new student in this class but in school. Now, since we have new people, let's go with what genre or genres do you like the most?" Professor Jung spoke.

"Jaemin, you should go first." Jeno teased. Jaemin glared at him as Jeno knew his favorite genre. With Jisung there, it felt embarrassing to say it out loud.

"Jeno, since you are so gracefully volunteering Jaemin, why don't you answer first?" Professor Jung chirped. Jeno whined but got up anyway, declaring that his favorite genre was action and adventure. He loved a good story when the characters go on quests or experience an unnatural phenomenon. Yukhei teased him about it sometimes, but Jeno still loved them.

"I'll go next then." Jaemin hesitated. He bit his lip, before opening his mouth and finally revealing his favorite genre. It was dramatic, to say the least, but perfect for Na Jaemin. "I-It's romance. I like horror movies but reading romance novels is what I like the best." He expected snorts and teasing, but nothing came. Only curious faces and slight nods from Mark and Renjun.

"I like romance, too, but there's an overwhelming amount of heterosexual books that it gets tiring sometimes." Mark popped up. "I try to read other types of books in the LGBTQ+ community but there's only so much."

"Yeah. It feels like a dream come true when I find a non-stereotypical book that's not about how gay men are either flamboyant or really masculine. Or how intersex doesn't exist and most members of the community are white, young, and atheist. Last time I checked, I was clearly Chinese and gay." Renjun ranted. Jaehyun listened to their complaints, thinking about ways they could get more books that gave into their interest.

"My favorite genre is a mystery, but the lack of representation often annoys me. It's not just about the LGBTQ+ community too, it's also about race, different ethnicities, other religions, illnesses that are both physical and mental, and more." Jisung mumbled.

"I enjoy horror stories, and while I don't really read romance type things, I get their frustration. Where's the representation?" Chenle spoke up from his spot in the back of the room.

"At my old school, people always assumed I was gay because I have a high-pitched voice and hung out with women. It got worse so I just transferred here, and so far, it's much better, despite the small insults I get thrown." Donghyuck spoke.

"I get it, I really do. When I was getting my teaching license, I got the opportunity to travel to New York to help teach a class in a quite preppy school. I was talked about behind my back by my coworkers and when I was looking for books to bring back to Korea, I found a small amount that piqued my interest." The class listened to him as he told his story. They knew that it was a problem, but around the world, too? It was surprising to them, and they kept it as a learning experience.

"Here's the homework that's due tomorrow, it's two pages of grammar, plus finding a book that you maybe want to read as a class. It's an English class, so please try to have it in English or an English translated copy of your book. Just the title and author is fine, but if you do have the book, you can bring that in. Class dismissed!"

"Are you sure you'll be okay? It's okay if you're not. I can always cancel lunch with Renjun. Or we can eat with all eight of us! Xuxi said he's joining us!" Jeno asked Jaemin. The boy only shook his head. He was too angry.

"You can go ahead and eat with everyone, I just want to be alone right now. And don't worry, I'll make sure to eat." Jaemin shooed him away. Jeno opened his mouth to protest, but there was no changing the mind of an angry Jaemin.

Gently, he pushed the doors open to the courtyard and sat down on a bench. It was far from the corridors and had the perfect amount of sunlight to shade ratio. Jaemin thought back to before this all began, how the pain and suffering of having to pretend someone you're not. What was the point of all of this? He was living for everyone else, but never really for himself.

"What do I like to do?" Jaemin sighed. If he thought about what he would major in college, it would give him hope and excitement. Those feelings and words aren't in Jaemin's dictionary as far as his father knows. What was in his dictionary? Being the chief executive officer of some company he couldn't give two shits about. His anger started to rise again, but instead of lashing out, he put his headphones on and turned on whatever playlist he looked at first.

"Jaemin? The food is ready... If you want to come to eat with us..." Jisung called from their door. Jaemin stopped folding his uniform, before turning around and glaring at him. He swallowed the thickness in his throat and stepped inside quietly. "I-I'm sorry for that night... If I wasn't such a baby, they wouldn't have captured that photo, and we could be normal at school. I'm sorry... It's all my fault."

"Shut up, Jisung. Just drop it." Jaemin huffed out. Jisung fiddled with his thumbs for a bit, then slowly made his way downstairs to the kitchen. There stood not only their mothers, glaring at them.

"Why didn't any of your classmates know about you two?" Jaemin's mother started. Jisung's eyes widened, his fidgeting slowly getting worse as their anger radiated more and more off their bodies. He quickly looked away to avoid them and wished that Jaemin would hurry to get downstairs.

"Park Jisung, you will answer me right now! Why didn't any of them know when the two of you are such lovebirds at home?! Your love should be shown everywhere and to just ignore Jaemin like that and toss him aside as soon as you enter the school building is preposterous!" Jisung's mother argued. Jisung got angry at that. Why was it always Jisung that ignored Jaemin? Jaemin was never in the wrong while Jisung was.

"That's not what happened, mom! You don't understand what they're like at all!" He snapped.

"Don't you talk to me like that!" She slammed her cup down, almost breaking it.

"It's true! All they do is talk about how horrible I am, about how being gay is wrong and anything even remotely out of the ordinary is disgusting. We've been fine so far, and you shouldn't even be yelling at me when there was a stalker that followed Jaemin here! Our privacy was invaded so why aren't you dealing with that right now?" Jisung gritted out.

All anger from name-calling and insults must have finally caught up with him because he was livid with how the mothers were dealing with this situation. They both looked at each other and sighed, silently leaving the house with excuses about an important meeting.

"You know, before this, I told you to stay away from me at school. And once you showed even slight interest and told your stupid friends, the whole school knows. Good job, Jisung, it's all your fault! I told you to not get close to me. Now look what happened, you're heartbroken. You're crying and have to be with me everywhere, so congratulations!" Jaemin said sarcastically. He threw his hands up in the air, frustrated as can be.

"Shut the fuck up, Na Jaemin! I did everything I could to not get noticed this year. I'm sick and tired of you blaming all your shit on me!" Jisung snapped once again. Jaemin's face twisted into anger.

"Yah! Where are your manners?!"

"They fucking left with my respect for you, you sorry excuse of a human! I can't believe that I thought we could get along! I thought that maybe one day I would look at you and consider you my friend but that's obviously never going to happen." Jisung shook violently. Even though he was yelling and arguing, Jisung still had anxiety building up inside, threatening to break him apart completely.

"You know what, let's just stop talking to each other. I'm done pretending in front of our parents and in front of the school. You live your life and I'll live mine." Jaemin left the kitchen, coldness lacing his voice. He didn't speak after that, and when Jisung got to their shared room, all of Jaemin's belongings were gone and moved into the guest room.

"I guess he's serious." They didn't like each other, so why did it hurt him so much? Why did he sink to his knees and cry to Chenle over the phone when Jaemin hated him from the start? Why did he go to sleep with tears running down his face and his arms clutching the blanket Jaemin got him for his birthday two years ago?

Why?


	4. I Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did he screw up a bit more? Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this is running late, I got caught up with school work and also went on a small hiatus from everything for a couple of days. Please practice social distancing and wear a mask! Thank you all for enjoying this fic, I love reading all the comments I get uwu! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

_“A good relationship is when someone accepts your past, supports your present, and encourages your future.” -Everyday Power_

“How long has it been so far?” Renjun asked him a week after the incident. The first couple of days were torturous. Jisung had to stop making two portions of food because Jaemin just wouldn’t touch it. He wouldn’t even get near Jisung. The other wasn’t going to lie; he missed the occasional banters with his fiance. Yet at this point, it hurt every single moment of silence there was at home.

“A week. He won’t speak to me, won’t eat my food. He even moved out of our room. I hate him, so why does it hurt?” Jisung muttered. He looked at the sky in despair. Classes went on normally, but the glares got worse, and at some point, his locker had the word “pathetic” spray painted. When the first period came, Jaemin sat on the other side of the room and talked to everyone else, specifically ignoring Jisung’s presence.

Jaemin knew it wasn’t Jisung’s fault. He knew, but he got so angry the moment Jisung said he didn’t respect him. Moving all that stuff out of their room felt like his heart got stabbed, and he still went into the guest room. Jisung’s mother didn’t say anything; she didn’t know what to say or do.

This was something the two had to fix on their own.

“I would invite you over tonight, but I know you start cram school today.” Renjun frowned. Jisung shrugged and buried his face into Renjun’s shoulder, breathing evening out as he fell asleep. Renjun simply stroked his hair and thought about ways to get revenge on the people who ruined everything.

“Hey! Oh- is he asleep?” Chenle came running in. Renjun shushed him but ushered the boy over when he held a tablet in his hands. “They found the girls who leaked the picture! Apparently, it’s one of Jaemin’s stalkers. The principal said that they’re going to be expelled and charged. I’m not sure what they are, but Principal Seo just announced there’s going to be an assembly about privacy and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.” Chenle switched to his native language.

“Really? Out of everything that’s happened at the school, this is what made him do something?” Renjun frowned.

“Well, he is new this year. We’ll see what happens. By the way, has he been sleeping long because classes are starting in 20 minutes?” Chenle deadpanned.

“Jaemin, how are you feeling?” Jaemin stayed quiet, almost putting on his headphones successfully, but Jeno took them so he would speak. “Stop ignoring everything. You know it’s not Jisung’s fault so why are you taking it out on him? As far as I can tell, he cares about you, and you care about him.” Jeno said calmly.

“He deserves better than me, Jeno. He’s right, you know. I always blame everything on him because I think it’s easy, but it’s not. I’m just a cold coward.” Jaemin admitted. “It took me a long time to admit that…”

“Admit what?” Jaemin was blessed that Jeno was so patient.

“Admit that I care about him.” He whispered. Jeno smiled. Maybe the boy’s heart had finally thawed, even if it was just a little bit.

“By the way, your stalker is getting expelled and arrested. You should be happy, but also careful because she has some friends that are as angry as she is.” Jeno warned. Jaemin raised his eyebrow. “She’s one of the many people that you rejected. Remember? She’s the one that got angry and cursed you out.”

“There’s a lot of them that were angry. Maybe she’s the one that swore she would end me. Only the one to do so, the rest just glared and left after yelling at me.” Jaemin wondered. “If she hates me, I can only wonder how she feels about Jisung. He doesn’t even deserve any of this, Jeno. He’s so young…”

“So are you. Nana, I think it’s time you talk to him, even if he straight up ignores you or punches you in the gut. I would kick you if I was him” Jeno smiled sweetly. Jaemin shivered; Jeno was normally a sweet and nice boy, but he would be someone's ass if needed.

“What is it with you and kicking?” Jaemin scoffed. But he knew that Jeno was right. He needed to stop being a dick and talk to Jisung, the question was how and when. “How would I even approach him? I’ve been awful this past week and people at school are being worse to him.” He mumbled.

“Maybe do things around the house, like help him around or go back to sleeping in the same room. You can also defend him when someone is being an asshole.” Jeno suggested.

“I mean I could make dinner for him tonight, or do the laundry so he can study in peace. Although, the last time I did that, my shirts came out pink.” He sighed. Jeno snickered at the image of Jaemin coming to school the next day, decked out in his pink gym uniform. His fans thought he was handsome, but his friends? He never heard the end of it. “By the way, how’s Yukhei?”

“Don’t try to change the subject, but if you must know, he’s doing good. He’s nervous about auditions for the school in China, but I think he’ll ace it with Sicheng as his teacher. Oh, you just know he’s going to ace the final rounds.” Jeno rambled on. Jaemin smiled, he knew Jeno, Yukhei, and Mark for the longest time. He knew when they had crushes on any of their past girlfriends and knew when they were heartbroken. Right now, he knew deep down that Jeno and Yukhei were perfect for each other, and Mark was already showing signs for crushing on the new transfer.

“That’s great, Jeno,” Jaemin spoke softly. Jeno stopped and smiled back, but had flushed cheeks. He couldn’t help it, Yukhei was the sweetest, kindest boy he’s ever met, and he knew Mark, but Yukhei was on a whole other level. Every time Yukhei talked, his deep voice would soothe Jeno’s nerves all while saying such nice words, praising him over every little thing. “Make me your best man at your wedding.” Jaemin teased, attempting to get Jeno’s attention once again.

“S-Stop!” Jeno went from having pink cheeks to being beet red. “I’m not even sure if he likes me that way, and plus, he’s moving back to China.” He starts to sulk. The atmosphere quickly got thick. Jaemin didn’t even think of that. Jeno has been supporting Yukhei so much that he didn’t even notice how much it was hurting him in the process.

“Oh, Jeno…” Jaemin started, reaching over to comfort his best friend, but Jeno was quick to give him his signature eye smile.

“I’ll be okay. I always am!” Jeno cheered. Jaemin sighed, there was no stopping an in-denial Jeno.

“If you say so…”

“Oh, I know so.”

Luckily, Jaemin didn’t have prep school today. That meant he could cook dinner without Jisung coming in to shoo him away or help him.

“What should I make?” He asked himself. “I could make pork belly with sides.” In another world, Jaemin could be cooking with Jisung, making small comments about how serious he looks when he’s cooking, making Jisung sit and do his homework while he finishes up. Jaemin could be looking back at him, a small smile on his face as Jisung walks over and kisses his cheek-.

Wait.

“Why are you just standing there?” Jisung asked. Jaemin jumped, gently splashing the seasoning on his sleeves. His face went beet red when Jisung sighed and grabbed the paper towels to clean up the mess. “You’re cooking a lot for one person.”

Jaemin didn’t say anything. He couldn't. He just stood there and went red in the face, struggling to find words, but alas, nothing came out. Instead, he just gestured to Jisung and shooed him away, continuing to make the season as the pork belly sizzled in the pan. _I’m so pathetic._ He thought to himself.

“What’s up with him?” Jisung sighed. Why was Jaemin cooking? Didn’t he have prep school? Many questions swarmed through his head, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. The stacks of homework he had already eaten up his sanity, and now it was eating up his time as well.

“Are you just never going to talk to me?” Jisung asked. Jaemin frowned. He did want to talk to him, he wanted to say so many things, but the question was how. He swallowed his food and shook his head, causing Jisung to tilt his head in confusion.

“Oh! I’m glad you two made up! Now, let’s talk about venues. I talked to your father, Sung, and we looked at all these beautiful places! I have an appointment with one of the owners of this grand hotel in Seoul this weekend, so make sure you’re up bright and early on Saturday! Okay? Great! Go, team!” Jisung’s mother exclaimed, taking a piece of meat off of Jisung’s plate and hurrying up the stairs.

Jisung and Jaemin looked at each other, eyes wide with fear and confusion. They haven’t spoken in days and now they had to go out to pick venues? This was all ridiculous to Jisung. He wanted to wait until he was of age to get married, but these were his mother’s orders. Sometimes, he felt stuck and trapped inside this bubble called life and knew that someone, somewhere, was truly fucking him over.

“I-I’ll do the dishes. You can leave.” Jisung stuttered. Jaemin glared at him and plucked the plates from his hands. He could do the dishes on his own. What was the point of helping him out if Jisung didn’t let him? “At least let me help.” He finally snapped at him. It was a one-sided conversation so far, but that is what got Jaemin talking.

“Why don’t you leave and do your homework? I’ll do the rest.” Jaemin grumbled.

“No. You can scrub and I’ll wipe them down. For the first time in a while, you’re finally acknowledging my presence.” Jaemin opened his mouth to protest, but Jisung simply ignored him and grabbed the towel off the tiny shelf above the sink.

They stayed like that for a while; washing and drying dishes, organizing them so it looks nice, but not a word was said. It didn’t matter though, their actions spoke louder. Before cleaning the countertops, Jisung turned on a song, one of his favorites.

_As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese is now playing._

Jaemin turned to Jisung, and it was then that he felt a wave of emotions enter his heart. There he was, wiping the counters down with his nose scrunched up and sleeves of his sweater all the way to his biceps. Quietly, he turned off the faucet and walked over to him, gently taking the rag away from him. Jisung looked up, puzzled as to why Jaemin stopped him.

Jaemin didn’t know what came over him, but deep inside, something was telling him that it was now or never.

“Jaemin…?” He started, but Jaemin shook his head and cut him off. He sneaked his hand around Jisung’s waist and pulled him close, leaning down slowly. Jisung knew what was coming, and made no effort to stop it. He closed his eyes and gasped softly when Jaemin kissed him on the lips. It was like the whole world stopped, and the only ones that were moving were their very own lips crashing against each other. Jisung wrapped his arms around Jaemin’s neck, deepening the kiss.

They were so wrapped up in each other’s presence, that they didn’t even notice Jisung’s mother taking pictures from the side. As soon as they pulled apart, she sprinted to hide.

Jaemin didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to do as Jisung stared at him with so much fondness and confusion. It was then that panic started to set in; what did he just do? He couldn’t even talk to him yet he just kissed him with all his might!

“I-I’m sorry. I-” Jaemin tried to apologize. Quickly, he took off his apron and threw it on the counter before running to his room and shutting the door behind him. In all seriousness, Jisung felt hurt. What kind of behavior was this? And that kiss? Sure, it blew his entire existence away, along with the grip around his waist. He felt hurt, but also warm.

“Jaemin…” Jisung started. He couldn’t feel his legs after that, slowly falling to his knees while Jaemin sunk to the ground in his own room. He felt tears falling down his face. Why did he do that? Out of everything he should have done, anything he should have _said_ and that’s what he did?

“If Renjun wasn’t going to slap me before, he definitely will now. No, you know what, he’s going to kill me. I think it’s time to write my will.”

“Did anything interesting happen yesterday? You look like a zombie.” Mark yawned, setting down a coffee cup in front of Jaemin’s face. His eyes were swollen and red, body feeling as sore as the time he had back surgery.

“I kissed Jisung instead of apologizing to him. Well, I did say sorry, but I don’t count it as an apology. I kind of also just left him there instead of talking to him and closed myself off even more.” Jaemin rambled. Mark thought for a moment before rubbing his hands over his face and stretching his arm out. Jaemin looked up from his spot, raising his eyebrow in confusion. It didn’t take long before Mark slapped the sadness out of Jaemin.

“Well, now that that’s done, drink your coffee up and we’ll figure out how to fix this mess called your engagement.” Mark beamed. Jaemin huffed at his energy. He hasn’t understood Mark before, but now, he’s given up all hope. “Why don’t you come to the dance club? You can let off some steam and we’ve been looking for more members anyways. Jisung has his science and math clubs, so you do a dance club! You haven’t joined anything and I’ve seen you go to some of our tournaments.” The more Mark talked, the more Jaemin was convinced. It did make sense, plus, he liked dancing. He just never really had time to do anything about it. If he tells his father he’s in math club with Jisung and has his fiance vouch for him, then he can make it work.

“Fine, when is it?” Mark cheered.

“It’s every morning at 5 am. I know it’s early but it’s worth it. We also sometimes have practice after school for two hours before we head off to cram school.” Mark said excitedly. Jaemin nodded, already regretting his decision.

“I’ll be there, mostly because I know you’ll drag me out of my comfortable bed if I don’t.” Jaemin sipped on his iced coffee dramatically. Mark snickered; he wouldn’t but he would recruit Jeno to drag him out.

“It’s not comfortable without Jisung, so I know you won’t mind.” Jaemin turned red at that.

Damn it, Mark!

“Jisung, do you need to go to the nurse?” Jaehyun questioned. Jisung snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. He definitely wasn’t thinking about Jaemin and was not thinking about how much he missed him.

“I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep well! Sorry for interrupting class…” He trailed off. Jaemin looked at him worriedly, but as soon as Jisung turned to see him, he changed his expression so something cold. Donghyuck noticed this exchange. He knew about the rumors but didn’t really know what was going on. He should ask Mark or Renjun when he gets the chance.

“Alright then. Let’s continue with the lesson.” The teacher went on to talk about this history of books, and the rise of digital books in the 21st century. It was then that Jaemin realized why Ten left his life behind for this. It’s a weird moment to realize it, yes, but it also felt right. Ten was working as a choreographer at a famous entertainment company and the very thought of doing music angered their father.

“Minhyung! Can I speak to you for a second?” Mark smiled at Donghyuck and nodded. He motioned for the rest to leave without him. Donghyuck bit his lip in nervousness, should he have asked Jisung or Jaemin about this? Well, it’s too late now.

“What’s up?”

“I want to know about Jaemin and Jisung. I know there are rumors about them, but I don’t know the full story. They look like they hate each other, honestly.” Mark sighed.

“They’re engaged, and it’s a quite complicated story. They don’t hate each other at all. It’s just people being dicks to them and they’re angry because Jaemin is so popular, I guess, and Jisung isn’t. I’m warning you now, this school is shit, and I wouldn’t be surprised if all of us moved far away from here after it ends.” Mark explained. It wasn’t his story to tell, but that enough should satisfy the younger. “If you want to know more, I’d suggest talking to the boys in question. Jisung might shy away, but I think Jaemin will talk since you are friends with me.” Donghyuck smiled.

“Thanks! They seem perfect for each other. I can tell by the way they look at each other when the other isn’t looking. It just seems all so fucked. Rich families think they can do anything with their children.” He grumbled.

Mark blushed and giggled at that. Out of everyone, Mark knew the best about rich families.

“I get you. We’re going to be late for class so we should get going.” Donghyuck groaned. He hated class, but with Mark there, it’s a bit more durable.

“Fine, but you need to properly introduce me to Jaemin!”

“Chenle, have you seen Jisung?” Renjun asked. Chenle looked towards Jisung but was met with an empty seat. He was just there, where could he have gone?

“I think he left already. I think he’s cooking tonight since Jaemin pulled that stunt. Oi, did you hear he joined the dance club? I didn’t even know he had any moves but Jeno showed me the video.” Renjun’s ears peaked in interest. He leaned over to Chenle and looked at the video he had on his phone. Jaemin was pretty good, and smooth, too. Why doesn’t he know this?

“I never would have thought, but then again Jisung doesn’t talk about him in a good light.” Renjun sighs. Chenle giggles, suddenly feeling the proximity of Renjun. The other turned to smile at Chenle and began to feel the same.

“I think my date is waiting for me. I should go.” Renjun spoke quickly. If the room was any quieter, you could probably hear the sound of Chenle’s heartbreaking into pieces. Chenle only smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lele!”

“Yeah, later!” Chenle called out when Renjun ran to leave.

“We aren’t supposed to even be here! Let’s go before they find us!” The girl whispered to her friend, the same one that leaked the photos. Her friend was here for only one thing, and that was to get revenge on Jaemin one last time.

“They won’t find us. We just have to teach little Jisung a lesson and make a run for it. That way, Jaemin will have paid his dues after breaking my fucking heart, that disgusting human.” The girl sighed; there really was no way to get out of this. “There he is!”

Her friend pointed at Jisung, who was walking through the halls and getting near the exit of the building. This was their chance, and they took it. In a span of ten seconds, Jisung was on the ground, getting beat up by some people he didn’t even know. His screams and cries were fallen on deaf ears, or so he thought.

Soon, Jaemin came running in, sweating like crazy as he just left dance practice. Behind him was Mark with their friend Mina, who was a manager for the team. The whole scene felt like a dream to Jisung; he couldn’t believe the anger on Jaemin’s face and the fear in both of the girl’s eyes. Mina fumed and tackled them down, taking them on.

He didn’t remember much after but did know that it was Jaemin who carried him away.

When Jisung woke up, Jaemin was asleep next to him. Jisung winced at the bruises blooming across his skin, gently taking the blanket off him so he could assess the damage in the bathroom. He didn’t get very far before Jaemin pulled him back down.

“I-I just want to go to the bathroom.” He stuttered, but Jaemin was hesitant. Jisung had a lot of bruises, many of which could stay there for a while, and it made him nervous about what his fiance would think. Flinching, Jisung got up from his spot and made his way to the bathroom, screeching when he saw them.

“You okay in there?” Jaemin yelled from the bedroom. Minutes past and not a single peek was heard yet.

“I’m okay! Just go get dinner ready, please?” Jisung called back. Jaemin sighed and dragged himself out of bed. What could be going on in there? Whatever it was, took him a while before he came back to scrambled eggs, rice, bacon, and other sides. It seemed like a lot, but both of them were growing boys and were able to finish it in no time.

“Breakfast for dinner? What’s the occasion Na Jaemin?” Jisung wondered out loud. Jaemin stiffened.

“I wanted to apologize. It wasn’t right for me to just up and kiss you like that, especially leaving without explaining why I did it.” He started. Jisung softened his gaze, gesturing to go on. “I don’t want us to fight anymore, I don’t want to go back to that cold, empty room, and see that you’re not there sitting in the very corner with an anatomy book.” Jaemin’s voice slowly got louder, but he wasn’t yelling at Jisung, he was yelling at himself.

“I don’t want to go to sleep, knowing that you’re not next to me and waking up the next morning at an ungodly hour! I guess… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you and blamed you for everything when there are two people in this relationship, or whatever this is!”

Jisung stayed quiet, processing what Jaemin had just said.

“I get it if you just want this to stay political, but I just want you to know that I-” Before Jaemin could finish, Jisung kissed him right on the lips. Slowly, Jaemin calmed down and kissed back, wrapping his arms around Jisung’s waist to pull him close.

“That you what, Na Jaemin?” Jisung asked, a dreamy tone coating his voice. Jaemin blushed and smiled.

“That I give a shit about you, future Na Jisung.”

“If you think I’m taking your last name, you are dead wrong.”

“We’ll see about that.”


	5. Have You Thought About Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit all over the place in the Na / Park Household.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI HI EVERYONE ~ LONG TIME NO SEE MY LOVES UWU I hope you're all doing well ~ Pls be safe and wash your hands, wear a mask and stay home. Also happy holidays and happy new years! I listened to Mr. Loverman by Ricky Montgomery for some of this chapter and other songs I don't really remember lol. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter !

_ “Children shouldn’t have to make sacrifices for you to live the life you want.” - Unknown _

“Jisung! You look less dead today.” Renjun hummed, sitting next to an exhausted Jisung. It’s only been two days since the kiss, but Jisung never felt happier. He had a new friend, and that was something to him. Plus, he and Jaemin did still have to look at venues, so it was nice that they were on good terms now.

“Thanks, Junnie. Have you seen Lele around lately? He hasn’t talked or hung out with me much since the incident.” Renjun shrugged. He really didn’t know what Chenle was doing. After his date, he was excited to tell Chenle about it, but he never answered. Later that day, Renjun went by his house to check on him, but again, no one answered.

“I don’t know, honestly. He’s been ignoring me since my date.” Jisung paled. Renjun went on a date?

“Wait, you went on a date?” Jisung asked, biting his lip. Renjun looked at him, weirdly and nodded. “Oh damn, well, congratulations, Renjun! A-About time!” Jisung laughed nervously and patted him on the back. Renjun still gave him a weird look, but let it go.

“Aren’t you going venue shopping with Jaemin tomorrow?” Renjun asked, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, I’m nervous, honestly. We haven’t really talked about the kiss, but ever since he kind of poured his heart out to me, he changed. He’s more open with me now, and even though he still has that cold exterior, Jaemin is letting me in.” Renjun smiled. Jisung’s support system seemed like it was crumbling lately, and his anxiety had been skyrocketing. He remembers that night he had an anxiety attack at Renjun’s house last year, how no one knew what to do or say because it was so bad.

“H-Hey guys, sorry I haven’t been around, a lot of stuff going on at home right now,” Chenle sputtered. His head was down, eyes not meeting with neither of them, because if they did, they’d know how hard he cried.

“It’s okay, Lele. A little heads up would’ve been nice though,” Renjun jokes, Chenle laughed a bit, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Jeno, you owe me,” Mark said happily. Jeno glared at him before coughing up the money Mark had won. Jaemin looked at both of them confusingly. Did his best friends make a bet?

“Owe him what? Did you two make a bet?” Jaemin said with wide eyes. Jeno looked at him apologetically while Mark giggled.

“We did, and Jeno lost. He hoped that you would kiss him first but instead, Jisung kissed you first. And that is how I won! I knew you would ramble on and on to him, but Jeno hoped you would make the first move.” Jeno sighed, and Jaemin thought about it. If he betted too, he would go with Mark. He didn’t trust himself to make the first move and was glad that Jisung kissed him.

“Sorry, Jeno. I’m going to have to go with Mark on this. By the way, Minhyung,” Jaemin started, wrapping an arm around Jeno’s shoulders and turning to Mark. “What’s this about you introducing a certain Hyuck to me? I mean, it has to be serious if you want him to be Jaemin approved.” Mark turned red. Jeno crossed his arms and followed Jaemin’s lead.

“Yeah, is our Minhyung finally dating after the whole straight fiasco?” Mark turned even redder and whacked them with his textbooks. Jaemin laughed and shoved his best friend playfully. “Oh come on, Mark, we’re glad! I mean, Jaemin is finally becoming a man and well, I’m here.” Jeno said in complete seriousness.

“Hey, you have Yukhei. Don’t be like that. I’m sure he likes you back, you’re just too into your head to notice.” Mark said, wrapping his arm around Jeno’s shoulders, right on top of Jaemin’s. Jeno blushed at his comment.

“Jeno? Can I talk to you for a second?” Speak of the devil, and he shall appear! Jeno looked up to see Yukhei hanging out by the door, looking gorgeous as ever. The other smiled with his perfect eye smile and nodded, peeling himself off of his best friends and going to Xuxi with a bounce in his steps. Mark and Jaemin looked at each other knowingly.

“What’s going on, Xuxi?” Yukhei smiled at the name. He looked nervous, but what was he about to say?

“We have a dance tournament, you know, and it’s in France. I know you have confirmed since you were the first one, so I was wondering that while we’re over there, you’d be interested in going on a date with me? You don’t have to say yes, I was just thinking and I like you so much that I said ‘Hey, why not give it a shot!’ So, yeah, that’s all.” Jeno was in shock, so in shock that he couldn’t help but smile and cry at the same time.

“Xuxi, I’d love to! People don’t even know about the location yet, but I’m already excited.” Xu xi blushed and giggled quietly. “Ignore my tears; it’s just been an emotional day.”

“Jaemin, you owe me lunch.”

“That quick?!”

Jaemin’s schedule was packed these days. He had dance practice, wedding preparations, meetings with his father’s company, and regular schoolwork, but he couldn’t be happier. Well, except that last part about his father. Jaemin knew that if he had the chance to go to college, he would major in dance. He knew it was ridiculous to think about, but one could only dream at this point. All of his friends were getting ready and getting excited about college, and there he was, getting ready to take over a company he could give two shits about.

“Jaemin, are you ready to go?” Jisung asked from behind him. Jaemin squeaked and turned around, surprised. “I have a last-minute meeting at cram school, so I was thinking about just heading there real quick then going to the store if you’re down at least.” Jaemin thought about it for a moment and nodded. 

“I’m fine with that. What’s the meeting about? Didn’t you start not too long ago?” He asked, grabbing his dance bag and school bag. Jisung shrugged. He didn’t know why they wanted him to come in. He could only guess at this point.

“Ah, Jisung! You’re here! I know the class is canceled due to the storm, but- oh? Who’s this?” The professor asked politely, gesturing to Jaemin. Jaemin and Jisung looked at each other, and before Jisung could say anything, Jaemin spoke up.

“I’m Na Jaemin, Jisung’s fiance. It’s lovely meeting you.” Jaemin smiles fakely.

“Oh! Jisung, you’re so young, I wouldn’t have known you’re betrothed. Well, aside from that, I do need you to fill out some paperwork. Just take these home and fill them out with your family. And since you’re engaged, I’d like for you to fill out this last paper. It’s just a thing we do for couples since marrying young is common for the type of families we get around here.” The professor said. Jisung nodded, taking the paper and analyzing it. It was a form asking if he’ll still attend the cram school even after getting married and promising he’ll go to college.

“I’ll get this to you by Monday, does that sound good?” Jisung asked timidly. The professor nodded and sent them off.

“So, should we go to the supermarket first?” 

“Yes, please!”

“What kind of fruits should we get?” Jisung asked. Jaemin shrugged; he rarely ate the fruit. His brother didn’t eat fruit either, so his mother didn’t see the point in getting it when they were growing up. She tried her hardest and even tried to sneak fruit into their typical meals, but nothing stuck around.

“I have no idea, maybe we can get some mangoes and pears,” Jaemin suggested. Jisung thought for a moment before smiling and dragging his fiance across the store. Jaemin tried to hide his smile, but his lips betrayed him not a second later.

Shopping went smoothly for a while; nothing came their way until they got to the milk isle. Jaemin had left to fond over the types of flour that the grocery store carried while Jisung was stuck debating over what milk to get. Before Jisung could grab the gallon, an older lady appeared next to him. He almost stumbled, surprised by her presence. 

“Sorry, mind if I grab some milk before you?” Jisung bowed respectfully to her and got out of the way. The lady seemed familiar, but he didn’t want to assume things. He simply smiled politely and prayed for Jaemin to get there quickly. “Jaemin talks about you quite a bit. Before, he would rant about you, but now, he talks about you fondly. I thought this marriage was a political thing. Purely business, according to my son, but now, it seems as he’s grown feelings. It’s disgusting really, next thing you know, he’ll be defying my son’s wishes of becoming the heir of the company.”  _ Ah, it was Jaemin’s grandmother.  _ He’s never met her before but has heard small updates on her every now and then from either his mother or Jaemin.

Jisung didn’t say a word. He didn’t know what to even say. 

“Grandmother, what are you doing here? The wedding isn’t until December.” Jaemin swooped in, wrapping his arm around Jisung’s waist. Jisung felt how protective his grip was, shaking when he heard the coldness in his voice. Jaemin glared at his grandmother; the two never had a close relationship, not the way she and Ten used to be.

“I simply came here to get some groceries. Normally, I get one of the maids to get them but sometimes I like to get out of that stuffy house.” Jisung didn’t believe her. And apparently, Jaemin didn’t either.

“Honey, let’s go. Dinner is waiting.” Jisung spoke to Jaemin, trying to put up an act while also calming him down. The last thing they both needed was a big scene in the middle of a grocery store. Jaemin didn’t budge when his grandmother squinted at him. “Baby, please.” Jisung gently placed his hand on Jaemin’s clothed chest, tugging at his shirt. His voice was soft, yet there was a small pleading tone behind it. It was only then that Jaemin’s nerves eased.

“Okay.” He whispered. Jaemin gave one last look at his grandmother before leaving. Jisung didn’t think much of it after they paid for their groceries and left. The only thing he felt was the grip on his waist and the sad tint in Jaemin’s eyes.

“Sung, where do the strawberries go?” Jaemin asked, sticking his head in the fridge. Jisung didn’t respond. He asked a couple more times, only to turn around and see Jisung distracted with something on his phone. “What could be more important than the strawberries?” He joked. Jisung giggled and placed the device on the counter, a soft song playing in the background.

“Come dance with me.” He said, grabbing Jaemin’s hands. Jaemin blushed at the size difference of their hands. He didn’t realize how much smaller Jisung was compared to him; they were almost the same height and they haven’t stopped growing yet. 

“You’re getting taller, Jisung.” He mumbled, twirling the other around as the song The other smiled as his cheeks dusted with a soft pink. In that moment, Jaemin knew he was truly falling for this hardworking, amazing person that’s twirling in his arms. Secretly, Jaemin wished he got his head out of his ass sooner, as he would have more time with Jisung.

“What’s going on in there?” Jisung asked. He tilted his head to the side when Jaemin pulled him in his arms and stared at him with a fond look in his eyes.  _ Was he on some type of drug or something? _ He thought.

“You.”

It’s always been you, Park Jisung.

“Jaemin? Are you home, my son?”  _ Fuck. _

Everything was going so well. 

“Father? What are you doing here?” Jaemin asked timidly, pushing Jisung behind him. There was one thing they both had in common; the hatred for their fathers.

“I’m here to tell you that starting next week you’ll be going to meetings with me. I’ll be taking you out of any clubs and your schedule will be worked out with your principal, so don’t worry about that. I also got a rather interesting phone call, something about a photo being released at school? I knew you were getting along just fine! All that bullcrap about pansexuality or whatever that fake thing is, was a phase, right? Well, whatever it was, I’m glad you’re in love. It was quick, too!”

And that’s when Jisung had the last straw.

“No. He won’t. Jaemin deserves to live his life out like a normal person! And stop staying he isn’t valid!” Jisung defended, stepping out from behind Jaemin and in front of him instead. They were about the same height, but still.

“Excuse me, boy? Jaemin will go to the meetings whether he likes it or not.”

“How dare you talk to him like that?!” His future mother-in-law exclaimed.

“No! I’m done! I’m so sick and tired of you invaliding and tossing me around like I’m some kind of damn pawn! I’ve done everything you’ve asked my entire life, but now? I’m fucking done. I proposed to him, I moved in with him and his mother, I went to the most preppy school you could find, I’m number one in all my classes, I’m trained in three instruments and know four languages! I want to live my own life, even if that means I have to work to the bone! As long as I’m out of your reach, I could care less.” Jaemin snapped. 

“You will take my place! That’s the whole reason we’re doing this! I’m glad you’re in love now, but not like this!” His father yelled back.

“We’re not even in love! We’ve been pretending for your sakes all this time!” Jaemin slammed his hands onto the counter. “That picture was taken because Jisung got scared by the movie we were watching and jumped onto my lap. That’s the only reason.” Jisung’s mother’s eyes narrowed.

“Why you little…” Jaemin’s father started but was soon interrupted by Jaemin’s anger.

“And I’m sorry but I’m not the reason Ten ran away. You are. You worked him to the bone and tried to get him to become this perfect person, but as soon as you realized you couldn’t, you tossed him aside and settled for second best. I’m tired, and I’m done being your pawn. This goes for you too mother, so don’t you think you’re all hip hip hooray! Ten came to you because of how stressed out he was with work but you said that it was all in his head and to just get over it.”

Jaemin’s parents stayed silent. Jisung looked at Jaemin, seeing tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Without a second thought, he reached up and wiped them away. It was the first time he saw Jaemin truly angry. Sure, they had their fights, but it never came to a point like this.

“Jisung, you lied, this whole time?” His mother asked. 

“What was I supposed to do? You’re so consumed with your own life that you don’t even realize when I’m lying and when I’m telling the truth. You just assume everything is going well because you don’t want the stress of something not. Jungwoo doesn’t even have any friends because he was forced to do his service instead of waiting to get his degree first before joining. You let things just string along.” He said calmly.

“Jisung, if you say another word, I will quickly take your chance of going to college. And I’m sure your mother will agree.” Jisung’s face fell. Jaemin took quick notice and squeezed his shoulder.

“If you try to, I will leave, and I’ll take Jaemin and Jungwoo with me. We’ll have everything packed in a second and before you know it, we’ll be off the face of the Earth. You could try to look for us, but if you do, you’ll only come up with cold trails. You’ll not only lose two heirs to your sorry-excuse of a company but three sons that you attempted to raise. You already lost one. Let Jaemin go to college and live his life, and find another person to take care of your company. Someone that’s not from the family and actually cares. We’ll still get married because frankly, you made it impossible to get out of it, but with the condition that you’ll leave us alone afterward.” Jisung took Jaemin’s hands in his own, biting his lip when the other squeezed it in reassurance.

“Absolutely not! This is ridiculous!” Jaemin’s father shouted. Both mothers stayed silent.

“Then we’ll be gone by morning. Don’t wait up.”

Their parents stood there in shock, not believing what they had just heard, but it didn’t matter to Jaemin or Jisung. They needed to get their stuff together as soon as possible and leave the damned place. The older man was trembling, he knew this was bound to come but he didn’t think it would happen so quickly. 

Jisung thought that his mom would have stopped him by now, but it was obvious that she didn’t want to. He already texted Jungwoo and Jaemin texted Ten, both coming up with a place to live, somewhere far and peaceful.

“Sung,” Jaemin started before putting the rest of their stuff in the car. Jisung sniffed and looked up at him. “I would’ve still married you if we were normal people.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter: @/universesadrien  
> Instagram: @/universesadrien  
> Wattpad: @/universesadrien
> 
> Cross-posted on Wattpad.
> 
> Hope you have a good day!


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